Wow, great job on the race and your videos are really impressive. I have a Ti and I am considering doing the Everglades challenge, for the first time, in March. Did you use a GPS on the trip? How did you keep your GoPro cameras operating for so long? Have you had problems with getting good audio with the go pros?

I create all my routes in GeoGarage and then I save the GPX file to my Garmin. I also do screen prints of each section to make my navigational map. On the EC I will have my old GPS as a backup.

I own both AI and TI. Last EC I tried to run the race in a TI solo. That race had some major headwinds and it was hard fighting that in a TI. Not the best boat to windward. This year I will use the AI. Like all novices I made the mistake of bringing too much "stuff". It is a good mistake. You have to learn what works and what does not. It is better to have than have not.

I use two cameras. The GoPro I turn on for a few minutes or when doing a interesting event. Then I shut it off. I do not like processing long videos to find that 5 seconds of action. Sometimes I miss that action. That is the risk I take. For the EC I will take some kind of bakup charger to recharge my I-Phone and GoPro. I carry three spare batterries for my Sanyo Camera.

Any recommendation for a "light" battery charger??? Anyone know of a USB charger that uses a hand generator or dynamo that works??? This way I would have limitless power. These battery powered toys can be a nuisence that we can not live without...

I have been working on the same goals towards bringing the electronic toys on board, especially for extended periods of time. One item I have put on my shopping list, is the "Goal0 12301 Nomad 7M Solar Panel". A simple search will turn this up for for $80. The same company also has other, more powerful versions (reading bigger) for more toys.

I cannot give personal experiences with it, since I have yet to purchase. I have yet to complete any extended trips (batteries last enough for my current trips), but after researching several products, this may fit the bill for recharging various devices on extended trips.

Another option may be http://www.envirogadget.com/alternative ... e-charger/These can also come with RAM type attachments. I don't know how reliable or water resistant they are, but I'm sure it can be mounted to minimise salt spray, and anyway at the price, they can almost be classed as a disposable. Lets face it, if it's made in China, it's disposable.

I doubt that there is ever a shortage of this type of renewable energy on the race Paul ?

I have tried SOLAR. First I bought one of the little Solar battery chargers that I mounted inside a clear waterproof box. My cell phone was in the same box and I mounted it behind me. Two problems: SOLAR is limited by surface area. It would take days to charge up the backup battery. I do not have that much time. Then, my unit was one of the Chinese built. It died. Then I bought a small 2.5W SOLAR Panel that I strapped under the front hatch bungee. Inside, to the mast I strapped a 12V rechargeable battery pack. That pack was attached to a 12V receptacle mounted in the mast coaming. I also run my navigational lights from this battery pack. Worked great on the TI. The AI is all about weight. Battery storage means weight. My deduction is that SOLAR Panel is good for a Cruise, not a Race.

I will have a small battery backup that I can charge from. But that can fail. I need a way to recharge fairly quickly. The wind system does not seem to be practical because i am not sure of the water tightness and it will need to be adjusted into the wind.

I am thinking that human power will give you the fastest charge rate and it is ready on demand, not dependent on sun or the wind. The other option is a water driven generator. Water has more mass and can drive a smaller and lighter propeller system. A small fixed magnet motor might do the thing. Time to find that old tape player and get it into the garage...

I own both an AI and TI. I, too, have found that the AI points to windward much better than the TI. Not being too knowledgeable on boat dynamics...what is the reason the TI points lower? When I bought the TI, it looked like its daggerboard was noticeably larger than the AI. But was disappointed when I couldn't get the TI to point as high as the AI. Sailing solo, changing seat position didn't seem to help pointing.I still prefer to sail the TI...I've learned to live with having to tack more to get the TI upwind.

I bought the weather channel version about six years ago and it came with all kinds of adapters to recharge cellphones from the hand crank. Everything still works just can't process the now digital TV signal.

There may be a lantern only version with a hand crank to recharge external batteries.

Thanks a lot for posting those videos. I'm planning on doing that race this year on my old Prosail Series Hobie 21 with my Brother-in-Law, a long time friend and fellow sailor. He knows the water down there pretty good.

I'm building a righting pole to lever the boat up and down the beach, and also to be used as a gin pole for raising and lowering the mast.

Harlow Canal looks like we need to carry a Stihl 044 too!! We're planning on checking it out good before hand.

the NCC is a much different Challenge than the Florida EC. Because it is a circular course you will see all points of sail. Unfortunately half the time it is a head wind.

I would NOT recommend a 21' Hobie for this race. This is not a open water sail, a lot of shallows and oyster banks to deal with. The current in the Harlow Canal can run 3-4 knots against you. This year we had a Hobie 18 with some experienced coastal sailors and they did not finish. The smaller more flexible boats seem to do better in this race.

I do not mean to discourage you from the Race and hope to see you on the starting line in September. If you have a chance, do take a scouting trip on the course. Doing your homework helps.

Thanks. I understand that, and know we'll have to go the long way around in some places. My crew lives there, and knows the waters well, so if we bail somewhere along the line, it won't be a big deal. We're just planning on doing it for fun. The boat actually doesn't do too bad paddling with one on each wing, and using the spinnaker sheet to steer with one kicked up rudder.

Randy did it on an A-cat, and was disqualified for leaving his beach wheels at the launch site. I have another plan other than beach wheels. I saw that 18 in your video. The 21 has centerboards instead of daggers, and kick up rudders. I just have a 21 sitting around from when I raced it in the Prosail series back in the '80s (been sailing other stuff, and it's been in storage for a couple of decades-but is still in great shape). It was only sailed in the series other than a couple of the Cannonball Runs. I can drop and raise the mast on the water. I wouldn't want to do that route on a 16 or 18 or any of the smaller Hobies, or an Isotope.

The reason I was thinking about the 21 is that it's a pretty stable boat, while being respectably fast, and not too tiring to sail since it's so comfortable and relatively dry with the wings, even when it's blowing 25 knots. It's a lot faster than an 18, and a lot dryer.

Sailing upwind is not a problem, as long as there aren't long stretches of tacking in a narrow channel. My main concern with that was Core Sound, but Harry says the channel is plenty wide even going upwind.

Tide charts show that we should be okay going through the canal if we have any wind to amount to anything in the morning.

We're planning on doing the run this summer before the deadline to enter it as a race. I just live a few hours away, and Harry lives right there. We're going to check the canal out in a skiff first too.

I was thinking about the EC, but there are some stretches in there, that I don't have a clear enough picture of. I don't have enough time to do the long one, and have no desire to do the 40 mile "portage" anyway. This one is close to home.

I have tried SOLAR. First I bought one of the little Solar battery chargers that I mounted inside a clear waterproof box. My cell phone was in the same box and I mounted it behind me. Two problems: SOLAR is limited by surface area. It would take days to charge up the backup battery. I do not have that much time. Then, my unit was one of the Chinese built. It died. Then I bought a small 2.5W SOLAR Panel that I strapped under the front hatch bungee. Inside, to the mast I strapped a 12V rechargeable battery pack. That pack was attached to a 12V receptacle mounted in the mast coaming. I also run my navigational lights from this battery pack. Worked great on the TI. The AI is all about weight. Battery storage means weight. My deduction is that SOLAR Panel is good for a Cruise, not a Race.

I will have a small battery backup that I can charge from. But that can fail. I need a way to recharge fairly quickly. The wind system does not seem to be practical because i am not sure of the water tightness and it will need to be adjusted into the wind.

I am thinking that human power will give you the fastest charge rate and it is ready on demand, not dependent on sun or the wind. The other option is a water driven generator. Water has more mass and can drive a smaller and lighter propeller system. A small fixed magnet motor might do the thing. Time to find that old tape player and get it into the garage...

Thought I would ressurect this thread as there is a lot of good food for thought re 12v power, which is nedded for all our "must-have" electronic gadgets. Not so muuch a problem for short day trips but highly desirable - if not absolutely essential - for extended camping trips etc.